Onyomi: ゴ · Kunyomi: うま · Meanings: 11AM-1PM, noon, seventh sign of Chinese zodiac, sign of the horse
Kanji for 11am-1pm, noon, seventh sign of chinese zodiac, sign of the horse
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A long time ago, 午 looked a bit like two sticks crossing each other. It first showed the middle of a day’s cycle — the point when the sun stands highest in the sky. In ancient China, this symbol marked “midday” on their time wheel. Later, it also became the symbol for the zodiac animal “horse,” which was linked to the same time of day. So, 午 came to mean “noon,” the middle point between morning and evening.
午 shows the middle of the day — the time when the sun is at its highest. It reminds us of balance between morning and afternoon, like a peaceful pause in the middle of the day.
This kanji declares: two lines cross to mark the middle — 午 means noon, the time when the sun stands tall and the day meets its center.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 昼 | ひる | noon, midday | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 午 | うま | the Horse (seventh sign of the Chinese zodiac) | common Noun |
| 午後 | ごご | afternoon, p.m. | common JLPT-N5 Noun, Adverb (fukushi) |
| 午前 | ごぜん | morning, a.m. | common JLPT-N5 Noun, Adverb (fukushi) |
| 昼過ぎ | ひるすぎ | just past noon, afternoon | common Noun, Adverb (fukushi) |
| 午前中 | ごぜんちゅう | in the morning, during the morning | common Noun |
| 午後中 | ごごじゅう | throughout the afternoon | Noun |
| 午蹄中目 | ごていちゅうもく | Meridiungulata, extinct clade of South American ungulates | Noun |
| 午の刻 | うまのこく | hour of the Horse (around noon, 11am-1pm, or 12 noon-2pm) | Expressions (phrases, clauses, etc.), Noun |
| 午前休 | ごぜんきゅう | taking the morning off, time off during the morning | Noun |